Match safe



Sept. 13, ERL AL MATCH SAFE Filed Oct. 8. 1930 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED -s'rA @ES PATENT FFICE Y JOSEPH Ear. Ann onnrs'rrAn' :r. HOFFMAN, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK V M rcHsArE v A Application filed. October 8 1930. Serial No. 487,150. i

This invention relates to a safe for holding matches and more particularly to a pocket match safe arranged to ignite thematchesas they are withdrawn therefrom.

The object of theinvention is to produce a simple and inexpensive match safe of this character in which the filling thereof with fresh matches is rendered more convenient and rapid,'in which the chemically impregnated sandpaper or other igniting strip may be most readily replaced,and in which the resilient means of presslng the successive matches aganst sald ignltmg strip is of a standard and inexpensive form. Further objects of the invention are disclosed in detail in the following description, wherein:

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a perspective view of the cover.

and case of the match safe with a number of matches in place therein. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the case of the match safe showing the matches as they appear before tearing off their upper joining strips. Figure 3 is.

an end elevation of the match safe with the tearing strips removed from the matches and the cover in place. Figure 4; is a vertical transverse section through the matchsafe with its cover removed. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the case of the match safe together with'the resilient tube,

a tubular igniting strip and locking bar used therewith.

In the following description similar char-.

actors of reference indicate like parts in the.

several figures of the drawing.

My invent on may be embodied in various forms and 1n match safes of dlfi'erent constructions, and the present application is therefore to be regarded merely as one organe ization which satisfactorily carries out the invention 1n practice. As here shown'the same is constructed as follows V The main body or'case of the match safe is principally made up of front and rear case sectionslQ and 11 which are of substantially similar form as shown in Fig. 5. Said'case sections comprise front and'rear side walls 12 and 121,semi-fioors 13 and 131 prefer ably formed integrally with said front and rear walls,and end walls 14,141 and 15,

151 which aresecured to the ends of their 7 companion front and rear walls and semifloors by soldering, electric weldlng or otherwise. The medial edges of the semi-floors l3 and 131 are curled in the usual and well known manner to form pivotal eyes 16 which,

in co-operation with a'pintle 17 form a hinge oint between the front and rear case sections 10 and 11 which thus move relatively to each other about the axis of said pintle 17 as a pivotal center. A

Against the inner faces of the side walls 12 and 121 are adapted to be laid front and rear rows 18 and 181 of paper or other matches, which, when first-inserted in place, I 1 are mutually and integrally joined together Preferably, the front and rear rows 18 and 181 of matches, together with their. joining strips 20 and 201, are constructed of heavy paper or cardboard and are inserted into the match safe as collective units. After they are in proper place, said joining strips 20 and 201 are torn off along the lines of the scorings 21 and 211, whereuponeach individual match is separated from its respective joining strip and from all ofits fellows. The heads of the 1 matches are necessarilysomewhat larger than the match stems (see Fig. 4) and these match heads are suitably accommodated within clearance grooves 22 and 221 formed in the lower, outer corners of the front and rear casing sections 10 and 11. n Located in the main body or case of the mat ch safe and adapted to be squeezed into xposltionbetween the front and rear walls-12 and 121 of the case sections 10 and 11 is a resilientcylinder or tube 23 constructed of a short lengthor cut-off piece of Ordinary, heavy-walled rubber hose or'other flexible cylindrical material which be of solid form if desired. Normally in its unstrained condition, thisresilient tube is round in cross section as shown in Fig. 5, but when squeezed. together as in Fig. 4, it becomes approxiniately elliptical in cross section and is thereby c aused to exert a lateral resilient force against the matches. Detachably arranged around the resilient tube 23 is a tubular striking strip 24 constructed of sand paper, emery cloth, or a sheet of chemically treated abrasive or the like, which, when worn out, may easily he slipped ofl'ffrom said resilient tube 23aiidreplaced by a new tubular striking strip, As best shown in Fig. e, the heads of the matches 18 and 181 a-renormally out of con;

tact with said striking strip 24, so that there is no danger of'the same becoming accidentally ignited through inadvertent vibration [or spontaneous chemical combustion. YVhen a person wishes to use one of the matches, he merely grasps any one of thematches by its'stem and pulls it out. This movement automatically ignites the head of said match, .a'sitjis being withdrawn, by reason of the rectum said match head is forced to pass through and is compressed between the inner face of. the adjacent wall 12 or 1210f the match safe case and the adjacent peripheral portion of the abrasive striking strip 24:.

in jTliis compression or squeezing of each match head as it is withdrawn from the match safe is due to the resilient nature of the resilient tube23 whose normal or unflexed diameter is greater than the width of the match case between whose walls it is squeezed;

Preferably formed integrally with the end walls 14, 141-1 and 15, 151 are locking ears 25, :251 and 26, 261 respectively as best shown in Fig. 5. A locking bar 27 is detachably disposed medially of the match case proper and above the resilient tube 23, the same being channel shaped in cross section as shown in a Fig. 4: and provided at its opposite ends with locking holes28 and 29. The latter are adapt-' 7 ed to receive the companion pair of locking ears of thetwo match case sections 10 and 11, looking hole 28 being adapted to engage with locking ears or hooks and 251 while locking hole 29 is adapted to engage with locking ears 26 and 261. Inasmuch, however, as

Q the locking bar 27 is symmetrical about both its longitudinal and transverse medial vertical axes, it naturally follows that the same may be turned end for end and for this reason requires no particular care in its place- :tion, the two case sections 10 and 11 are nianually squeezed together against the elastic resistance of the resilient tube 23. This causes the companion locking ears 25, 251 and 26, 261 to lie close together and overlap each other and thus permit the same to pass through their companion locking holes 28 and 29 respectively. As soon as said ears have I assed above the upper fiat surface of said ocking bar 27, the manua Pressure upon the ment. In placing said locking bar in p0si-' front and rear, outer faces of the case sec tions is released whereupon the elastic pressure of said resilient tube 23 is enabled to move said case sections 10 and 11 a small distance away from each other and to enable 7 the outwardly projecting locking ears thereof to engage with the flat upper surface of the locking bar 27. This locks-both case sections together and to said locking bar and also locks the resilient tube .23, and the two rows 18"and 181 of "matches in "place. Said locking bar 27 when locked in place also serves to limit upward movement of the resilient tube 23, with; its encircling tubular striking strip 24. This arrangement ensures that,when 'a'person withdraws 'a match from between the inner-face of one of the ease sections 10 or '11 and theperip'heral face of the striking strip 24: the tendency to pull said striking strip (together with the resilient tube23) bodily upward out of the match case 'is fru'strated by the position and anchorage of the locking bar27 which is located medially just above said striking strip and tube. WVhen the match safe is not in use it is desirable that the projecting stems of the 'matches be protected against fracture and also that dirtibe prevented from entering the case of the match safe. This result is accomplished by the use ofa cover 30 which has ap proximately the same length as the main body or case of the match safe and encloses the same completely on its top and rear sides and'also encloses the'sa'me on'its front and bottom sides with the exception of cut-away "portions 31 and 32 respectively. Said cutaway portions are employed merely topermit a person to rasp the case of the match safe withhis fingers and to move longitudinally relatively thereto said cover 30so as to [unc ver at the one end or other of" the match case a number of unused matches. In ordi- "nary practice, said cover-'30 is slipped or moved'to the left'a's per Fig.1 until somewhat morethan half of both rows 18 and 181 of matches have been removed from the match case. The preferable procedure to facilitate the removal of the remaining unused matches at the extreme left end ofsaid match case is to slide the cover .30 completely off from said case and to reverse its position andto then slide it back onto said case until all the remaining unused matches have been removed and the match safe is completely emptied. 'This of co'ur'seiiecessitates the complete removal of said cover3O as well as the locking bar 27 "and the tubular s'triking'strip 24 together with its enclosed resilient tube 23, and the insertion of a: pair ofnew'an'd complete sheet or row of'iiia-tches 18 and 181, the j joining strips20 and 2010f which arefthere- 'pon removedbefore'again slidingthe cover 30 'into place. I It win b-apparent from the for going disclosure that the herein invention'isinexp'ensive and practical and that it is convenient and safe in use.

We claim as our invention:

1. A match safe comprising a case; a row of matches arranged against one of its inner faces a straight cylindrical resilient tube disposed within said case between the heads and the tails of said matches; and a striking strip also disposed between the heads and tails of 1szaibd matches and pressed thereagainst by said 2. A match safe comprising a case; a row of matches arranged against one of its inner faces; a straight cylindrical resilient tube disposed within said case between the heads and the tails of said matches; and a striking strip of tubular form detachably encircling said resilient tube and also disposed between the heads and the tails of said matches and pressed thereagainst by said tube.

.3. A match safe comprising a case of rectangular form; a row of matches arranged against one of its inner faces with their heads 7 disposed in the corners thereof; a straight cylindrical resilient tube disposed Within said case between the heads and the tails of said matches and out of contact with the heads of said matches; and a striking strip also disposed between the heads and the tails of said matches and pressed thereagainst by said tube.

4. A match safe comprising a case of rectangular shape composed of sections connected by a medial hinged joint; a row of matches arranged against its opposite longitudinal inner faces with their heads disposed in the corners thereof; a straight cylindrical resilient tube disposed within said case and having a normal diameter greater than the width of said case; and a striking strip also disposed between the heads and the tails of said matches and pressed thereaga-inst by said i tube.

5. A match safe comprising a case made up of a pair of relatively movable case sec-.

tions which are adapted to be opened up so as to receive a row of matches against their inner faces; outwardly projecting locking ears arranged upon said case sections; a locking bar adapted to engage with said locking ears; a striking strip; and resilient means for both pressing said striking strip against said matches and also resiliently holding the lock ing ears of said case sections in engagement with said locking bar.

In testimony whereof we hereby aifix our signatures.

JOSEPH ERL.

CHRISTIAN J. HOFFMAN. 

